William d



A TZ'ORNEYS.

W. D. JONES.

MAIL BOX.

(No Model.)

No. 583,753. Patented June 1, 1897.

as 'ca, moro-uma. wmmumu. o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEIGE.

WVILLIAM D. JONES, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 583,? 53, dated June 1, 1897.

Application filed August 17, 1896- Serial No. 602,946. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. J oNEs, of Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a mail-box especially adapted for the reception of newspapers and like mail-matter, and to so construct the said box that it will be in folding or hinge-connected sections, the sections being spring-controlled in such manner that they will fold flat against the back of the box when the box is empty, thereby occupying but little space; and a further object of the invention is to so arrange the parts of the box that the box will be open at the bottom and provided with a cover to protect the contents, and whereby when papers are to be placed in the box the sections may be brought to the position of the corresponding parts of an ordinary mail-box, and after the papers or other mail-matter has been introduced into the box and the box is released by the operator the sections will return to their folded position and clamp the inserted mail-matter between the front, sides, and back.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved box opened to receive mail-matter, a part of the box being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the box opened out. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the box opened out, the said section being taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the box when folded, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken practically on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In carrying out the invention the box consists of a back 10, sides 11 and 12, a front 13, and a cover 14, the back of the box extending beyond the top and the bottom, so that the box may be conveniently secured to a support. The cover is preferably made longer than the length of the box from side to side and is connected with the back by means of hinges 15, and springs 15 are wound around the pintles of the hinges, having bearing upon the top of the cover and against the back of the box, the said springs acting to force the cover downwardly to an engagement with the top of the box. The top of the body'of the box is inclined in a forward direction, as shown in Fig. 2, and the bottom of the box is open. The sides 11 and 12 are connected by hinges 16 to the back 10 of the box and are likewise connected by hinges 1'7 with the side edges of the front 13 of the box, as shown in Fig. 5.

The pintles 18 of the various hinges of the body portion of the boxusually extend from top to bottom, being passed through suitable knuckles, and springs 19, usually of a loop pattern, are wound around the spindle of the rear hinge at the side of the box in direction of which its members are to fold, the springs having bearing at one end against the inner face of the back of the box, and at their loop or opposite ends the springs bear against the inner face of the side member 12 of the box,

as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Thus it will be observed that the tendency of the springs will be to cause the members of the body of the box to fold fiat, or substantially so, upon the back, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 5.

The spindle of the hinges connecting the front of the side 11 with the front member of the box is carried downward below the bottom of the box and terminates in a handle 20, and when an article is to be introduced into the box the operator will grasp the handle 20 and by pulling thereon will draw the sidesand front of the box to the position which they would occupy if rigidly connected. A newspaper may at this time be introduced into the box through the bottom, and when the handle 20 is released the springs 19 will return the members of the box to their folded position and cause the inserted paper to be clamped between the sides, front, and back of the box. The box is opened in the manner above stated to release the mail-matter con- I00 tained therein, which will drop down through the bottom of the box the moment the parts are carried to the said open position.

I desire it to be understood that instead of the handle 20 a knob or any equivalent thereof may be substituted, secured at any desired point on the front of the box near the side at which the handle is shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A mail-box, comprising the back, side members hinged to the back, a front member hinged to the sides, springs attached to said box and exerting an outward tension on one of said side members, whereby the box is normally held collapsed, and a spring-pressed cover hinged to said back and exerting a downward pressure on the said sides and front, substantially as set forth.

2. A receptacle for mail, comprising the collapsible box open at its bottom, springs normally holding said box in collapsed position, and means attached to said box for opening the same, against the action of its springs, substantially as set forth.

3. A mail-box comprising a back, side members hinged to the back, a front member hinged to the sides, springs normally exerting outward tension on one of the side members,

' and a springpressed cover hinged to the back and extending over the front and side members of the box, the box being provided with a handle at that portion which is opposite to the portion carrying the tension devices,

whereby the sides may be carried at an angle to the back after having been folded thereon, as and for the purpose specified.

4. A mail-box consisting of a back, side and front members, the side members having a hinged connection with the back and likewise a hinged connection with the front memher, the bottom of the body of the box being open, a cover hinged to the back, tension devices normally exerting downward pressure on the cover, tension devices located on the body and exerting outward pressure on one of the side members of the same, and a handle connected with the opposite side member of the box, as and for the purpose specified.

5. A mail-box, comprising the back, side members hinged to said back, a front member hinged to said side members, springs wound around the pintle of the rear hinge of one side member of the box and exerting an outward tension on the said side, and a spring-pressed cover hinged to the back, and extending over the front and side members of the box upon which it exerts a downward pressure, the pintle of a hinge connecting the front and side members of the box being extended below the bottom of the same and forming a handle, whereby the box is held open against the action of said springs, as and for the purpose set forth.

\VILLIAM D. JONES.

\Vitnesses:

W. O. MILLER, H. J. RAUCI-I. 

